Like this:

Thanks to Joe Smith who pointed out in the comments that Debra Bell’s anti-cannabis blog has finally been removed from teh interweb.

So don’t go here to read any of her spiteful nonsense because it’s vamooshed, disappeared, skidaddled or perhaps run away is more apt. Perhaps the comments left were too much for faint hearted Debra who’s fast discovering that politics isn’t really her bag.

Being kind-hearted souls at the void we’d like to remind folk that the comments that led to her blog’s demise have been recorded for prosperity here.

Like this:

We feel a campaign coming on so the void is taking out the prohibitionists one muppet at a time.

It makes a change from shooting fish in barrels.

We’ll leave Debra Bell to fester in her ignorance for a while and move on to Mary Brett, UK spokesperson of ‘Europe Against Drugs!’ or EURAD for short.

EURAD exist to “promote education of parents, young people and other concerned citizens about all matters concerning drug abuse”.

They do this by talking bollocks.

Mary Brett, appears to be behind the ludicrous cannabis ‘facts’ on Debra Bell’s website having written what she calls a paper called ‘Cannabis: A Cause for Concern?’

It’s a paper only in the sense that it was once written down on paper and only a true fuckwit could give any credence to the unscientific diatribe presumably inspired by Brett discovering google and thinking she’d turned into fucking Einstein.

Brett has a BSc and some A levels plus frontline experience in the torrid world of the drug user having spent most of her life teaching in an all boys public school.

These impeccable academic credentials and gritty past have made her the darling of the scientific community. One scientist told the void: “Not since Mr Bunsen and Beaker has such an incisive mind come to the fore in modern science.”

Brett’s trick is to ignore the age old paradigm of balance and objectivity and driven only by personal prejudice and sheer hatred she bludgeons her way to the truth.

Brett believes that theory and fact are the same thing.

The thousands of studies proving cannabis to be safer than crossing the road are bypassed in favour of tabloid crankery and minor experiments with questionable conclusions.

Such is Brett’s dilligence at using search engines she has dragged up every myth, misconception, flawed study and out and out lie that has ever been written about the devil’s own plant.

The studies included which have more credibilty are presented as fait accomplis with a confidence that would make the original researchers shudder at their own lack of zeal in promoting proof of the terrible perils that await cannabis users.

Take the man who had a brain heamorrage just half an hour after smoking cannabis or Brett’s own brilliant insight that because cannabis has a mild analgesic effect it may stop someone from seeking teatment for heart disease until it’s too late.

“A strong and statistically significant anti-tumor effect was observed … In particular, for a highly malignant human breast carcinoma cell line … cannabidiol and a cannabidiol-rich extract counteract cell growth both in vivo and in vitro as well as tumor metastasis in vivo.”
— Ligresti, Alessia et al., “Anti-Tumor Activity of Plant Cannabinoids with Emphasis on the Effect of Cannabidiol on Human Breast Carcinoma,” Journal of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics, May 25, 2006

Cannabis: Safe to Smoke!

“We did not observe a positive association of [Marijuana] use — even heavy long-term use — with lung ca[ncer], controlling for tob[acco] smoking and other potential confounders.” Even lifetime use totaling 20,000 cannabis cigarettes did not result in an increase in risk of lung cancer.
— Tashkin, D.P., et al., “Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer: Results of a Case-Control Study,” Presentation at the 2005 Meeting of the International Cannabinoid Research Society Conference, 2005

Cannabis: The Aspirin of the 21st Century!

“The clinical potential of the cannabinoids is large; some people suggest that cannabis could be ‘the aspirin of the 21st century’ … Cannabinoids inhibit pain in virtually every experimental pain paradigm.”
— David Baker, et al., “The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis,” The Lancet Neurology, May 2003

Cannabis Stops Alzheimer’s

“Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of [Alzheimer’s Disease] and that cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease.”
— Ramierz, Belen, et al., “Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology by Cannabinoids: Neuroprotection Mediated by Blockade of Microglial Activation,” The Journal of Neuroscience, February 25, 2005

Cannabis Cuts Depression!

“A new neurobiological study has found that a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, is an effective anti-depressant at low doses.”Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, Journal of Neuroscience, October 24, 2007

Cannabis, it’s safe to drive folks!

“Evidence from the present and previous studies strongly suggests that alcohol encourages risky driving whereas THC encourages greater caution, at least in experiments. Another way THC seems to differ qualitatively from many other drugs is that the formers users seem better able to compensate for its adverse effects while driving under the influence.”

“It can thus be argued that legalisation of drugs would lead to a reduction in crime, freeing up tax payer money that would have otherwise been spent on the prison service and enforcement of drugs laws.”

They also found no evidence for the purported effects of cannabis use on schizophrenia according to variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene.

Schizophrenia is associated with an increased use of tobacco and cannabis, with evidence suggesting that patients may use the drug to alleviate neurophysiological symptoms. The benefits of these substances are thought to be mediated through their effects on CHRNA7 and CNR1, respectively, notes the team. ”

Like this:

The man who wrote the excruciating McDonalds jingle I’m Lovin’ It has put himself, if not us, out of his misery.

Paul Tilley jumped to his death from the top floor of a Chicago Hotel presumably driven to despair by his conscience and too many McFlurries.

Someone finally took the late, great Bill Hicks seriously:

“By the way if anyone here is in advertising or marketing… kill yourself.

No, no, no it’s just a little thought. I’m just trying to plant seeds. Maybe one day, they’ll take root – I don’t know. You try, you do what you can. Kill yourself. Seriously though, if you are, do. Aaah, no really, there’s no rationalisation for what you do and you are Satan’s little helpers, Okay – kill yourself – seriously. You are the ruiner of all things good, seriously. No this is not a joke, you’re going, “there’s going to be a joke coming,” there’s no fucking joke coming. You are Satan’s spawn filling the world with bile and garbage. You are fucked and you are fucking us. Kill yourself. It’s the only way to save your fucking soul, kill yourself. Planting seeds. I know all the marketing people are going, “he’s doing a joke… there’s no joke here whatsoever. Suck a tail-pipe, fucking hang yourself, borrow a gun from a Yank friend – I don’t care how you do it. Rid the world of your evil fucking machinations. I know what all the marketing people are thinking right now too, “Oh, you know what Bill’s doing, he’s going for that anti-marketing dollar. That’s a good market, he’s very smart.” Oh man, I am not doing that. You fucking evil scumbags! “Ooh, you know what Bill’s doing now, he’s going for the righteous indignation dollar. That’s a big dollar. A lot of people are feeling that indignation. We’ve done research – huge market. He’s doing a good thing.” Godammit, I’m not doing that, you scum-bags!

Quit putting a godamm dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet!

“Ooh, the anger dollar. Huge. Huge in times of recession. Giant market, Bill’s very bright to do that.” God, I’m just caught in a fucking web! “Ooh the trapped dollar, big dollar, huge dollar. Good market – look at our research. We see that many people feel trapped. If we play to that and then separate them into the trapped dollar…” How do you live like that? And I bet you sleep like fucking babies at night, don’t you?”

Like this:

We’ve been looking for a worthy adversery in the void ever since the Ukippers stopped biting and unfortunately Debra Bell ain’t one.

That said while she continues to spout unscientific drivel on her lame website we’ll continue to expose her for the ignorant hypocrite she is.

For those who haven’t been paying attention, Debra Bell is a bored housewife writer who wrote a diary of her son’s experiences with cannabis to get her through the grinding monotony of another wasted day warn other parents about the evils of killer skunk.

Shamefully broadcasting her son’s personal life around the world in a bid to stave off the feelings of self-doubt and hopelessness raise awareness about cannabis, Debra has enjoyed a ripple of publicity after the noble drug warriors of the Daily Express took up her plight.

Recently she was asked to speak at the recent ACMD review into cannabis classification and is very clear in her view that cannabis users should face stiffer penalties and that cannabis should be reclassified as a Class B drug.

Debra thinks a criminal record and presumably a spell inside will help kids who get into trouble after toking on too many fat ones.

In her earnest quest for salvation Debra now claims to have set up a charity patroned by tory shadow chief whip Baroness Anelay. However in the small print it becomes clear that she has not set up a charity at all, merely a campaign group.

Debra is soliciting for funds and as her esteemed husband, a barrister, will likely tell her, claiming to be a charity when you are not is a criminal offence.*

We’ve informed the Charity Commission of her actions.

Elsewhere on her site Debra warns that cannabis use can trigger personality change. This seems particularly true in the case of her son, who as we revealed said of his mother:

“Frequently my parents will sit me down and tell me what they think is wrong with me, which is usually considerable. Add to this that my mum is the kind that thinks MSN messenger is ‘disgusting and pornographic’ and when I arrived on my book return day at school wearing irregular trousers, as I had somehow lost my others in a friend’s bedroom she screamed at me in front all my friends.”

William also said that cannabis was something he loved.

Poor William recently appears to have undergone a Damascene conversion and a piece written by William now states his opinion on the evils of Killer Skunk. Interestingly Debra notes in her cannabis diaries:

“I almost wonder now whether he was doing this so that I would agree to give him money.”

For once we wholeheartedly agree, particularly as her diaries reveal William was still using cannabis several weeks later.

Still, this doesn’t stop her from dishonestly using William’s insincere diatribe as propaganda to support her noble cause. After all she’s used every other aspect of her son’s personal life in her campaign which reeks of self-promotion rather than any genuine understanding of the issues.

William’s original statement can still be read here, or here just in case Debra’s getting all deletey on us we’ve kindly reproduced it here.

One thing that has disappeared is the link on the front page of her site to her blog. One of Debra’s posts attracting 34 comments, all but one from other parents and cannabis users pointing out the inaccuracies of her position. Debra is repeatedly asked to defend her position but sadly never does. Instead the blog is disappeared, although not being the sharpest tool she’s only removed the link and the blog still can be read here.

And just in case she decides to delete the blog then lucky void readers can also catch up on the comments here.

So fraudulently claiming to be a charity, exploiting her son’s personal problems to further her own agenda, failure to answer her critics, providing dishonest health advice and attempted censorship seem to be stock in trade for our Debra.

The mental health charities SANE and Addaction, who appear to back her campaign, must be wondering who they’ve got into bed with. So for that matter must be her husband.

*void disclaimer: Talking About Cannabis does not appear on the Charity Commission’s online register and in her campaign notes she talks of forming a ‘company’. If she has in fact establsihed a charity we will of course withdraw our remarks and lobby the Charity Commission as to why it thinks that spreading factually incorrect information about cannabis to the nation’s youth constitutes an identifiable public benefit as required by law.

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